Saturday, July 30, 2011

Woke up early to walk to Green City Farmer's Market in Lincoln Park. Shared a yummy crepe filled with fresh from the farm raspberries and blueberries and took in the gorgeous bright colors from the produce stands. Finds of the day: green hydrangeas and purple carrots.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

I often get lucky and stumble upon the most wonderful situations without any planning or intention. Today was one of those days. On my way to the Swedish-American Museum, I came across Brimfield. Part preppy plaid, part upholstered goodness, and part French fleamarket is how I would best describe this gem.

The owners were wonderful, let me take a bunch of pictures and filled me in that they are having a sidewalk sale next weekend (7/30-7/31). Huge props to whoever it is as Brimfield that merchandises all their goodies. Each item is perfectly placed in the 4,000 sq ft store, creating a highly craveable setup you'll want for your own home.

Note: The Brimfield logos are copyrighted materials belonging to Brimfield. I have no affiliation with Brimfield.

Hi friends! Apologies for the long break. To keep it short and sweet - it's been a busy few months. New job, new city, new home. The hubbie, Stella and I waived au revoir to Denver and have settled in Lincoln Park, Chicago.

I am so very excited to share our new adventure with you - Chicago has already offered so much inspiration in terms of food, design, shopping and delights!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

After a delightful holiday in Brussels and an ever so swift start to 2011 I'm just now getting the chance to sit down, go through my pictures and share some of Belgium with you. If you ever get a chance to visit, see below for some of my favorites!

Downtown Brussels Favorites:

Waffles. Anywhere. Well, make sure you don't go to a sit down place. But truly - any street vendor selling waffles will do. Avoid the fruit-filled ones - you simply can't go wrong sticking with the original "vanille" gaufre. Once you experience the buttery crunch of the exterior and the caramelized bits of sugar you will melt.

Sablon area. This is a gorgeous square in Brussels home to several antique stores (hello window shopping) and home decor shops, including my favorite Comptoir de Famille. I wanted to take pictures inside this shop so badly - the old wooden floors, exposed brick walls, and beautiful arrangement of goods for the home, but I was instructed by the shop owners that photographs are "forbidden"! Also worth checking out is the famous Pierre Marcolini chocolatier. But if you are hungry, I suggest buying your chocolate at a different chocolatier (Neuhaus is a good one) as Pierre Marcolini's exclusive chocolate displays will remind you of being inside a jewelry store. Some chocolates even contain gold, and are, um, priced accordingly.

Eats, Drinks & Merriment:

Quincaillerie- I admit, the decor and atmosphere of this place is enough to make me love it regardless of the food. Luckily, this old hardware store turned restaurant boasts a menu that is just as glorious as its interior. - Rue du Page, Brussels

Mykonos - There is a street right off the Grande Place that we affectionately call "Pita Street". It is basically a row of authentic Greek gyros shops. There is nothing fancy about this food, but it is the best gyros sandwich you could eat. Everyone has their favorite spot, and mine is Mykonos. Order the traditional gyro sandwich and add feta cheese. Something they do here that is different from the U.S. is add a delicious cabbage that is the perfect match with the delicious gyros meat. Yum! - Rue du Marche aux Fromages8, Brussels

Kriek - A cherry lambic-style beer that is just wonderful. And for those looking for a stronger, less fruity beer - my husband couldn't get enough of Westmalle Trippel.

{about}

ME: Swedish girl meets guy from Colorado. Moves to Denver. Gets hitched to Colorado boy. Buys a house and a dog (stella) and is now living happily ever after.
WHAT I DO:
Brand strategist from 9-5, and dreamer and curator of all things style, design, home, food, letterpress and delightful at all other times.
"TESSLA":
Tesslan's Hem means Tesslan's Home in Swedish. And what is a Tessla? Tessla is Swedish for Woozle, an imaginary creature from The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh. Tessla is also my mom's nickname for me.